Padre Dam Municipal Water District has decommissioned the Ray Stoyer Water Recycling Facility in Santee, closing out more than five decades of recycled water operations at the site near Santee Lakes. District officials marked the transition April 8 as the East County Advanced Water Purification Program moves toward startup.

According to East County Magazine, the Ray Stoyer facility was relocated to its current site in 1968 and expanded in 1997 to produce up to 2 million gallons of recycled water a day. The plant supported Santee Lakes and other non-potable water uses across the community, becoming one of East County's early long-term water reuse projects.

Padre Dam General Manager and CEO Kyle Swanson said the next phase will use advanced purification technology to treat up to 16 million gallons of wastewater daily and produce about 11.5 million gallons of potable water, or roughly 30 percent of regional demand. The district said purified water production is expected to begin in stages by the end of this year, with full commercial operation targeted for 2027.

For Santee residents, the shift matters because the replacement project is designed to create a more drought-resilient local water supply while keeping Santee Lakes operations going. Swanson said the lake system will continue receiving recycled water from the new facility, and East County Magazine reported that fishing and boating will still be allowed as the transition continues.

The ceremony also underscored how much the site has changed from a recycled-water workhorse into a larger regional infrastructure project. Padre Dam Board President Bill Pommering said the new facility is intended to provide a high-quality, locally controlled drinking water source for homes and businesses across the area for decades to come.

Source: East County Magazine, based on Padre Dam Municipal Water District event coverage.